BOLTS AND TORQUE SPECS

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BOLTS AND TORQUE SPECS

Always use the proper grade fastener. You should use at least grade 5 fasteners on almost everything on your motorcycle. Bolts are graded by tensile strength and are easily identified by the number of slash marks on the head of the bolt. The more marks the higher the quality. Hardware store bolts with no markings on top are usually soft, mild steel, grade 2 quality and should be avoided like the plague. Another thing to watch is torque specs. A bolt that has been over tightened can be just as lethal as one that hasn't been tightened enough. A bolt that has been tightened beyond recommended torque specs can easily break in service. In other words the soft grade 2, 5/16-18 hardware store bolts that are attaching the bottom of your sissy bar to the back legs of your rigid frame are shaky enough to begin with, they get downright lethal when you tighten them up as tight as you can get them with a couple of 10" wrenches. Keep in mind that torque specs will be less for bolts that have oil or lubricate on them than for clean, dry bolts. Use the following tables to determine what grade of bolt you are working with and how tight to torque it.

U.S. BOLT GRADES

SAE 2 2
I.D. Marks No markings Low carbon 3 lines

SAE 5 5
5 lines Mediumcarbon, quenched & tempered

SAE 7 7
6 lines Medium-carbon, quenched & tempered

SAE 8 8
SOCKET HEAD CAP SCREW

Allen head High-carbon, quenched & tempered

Material

Medium-carbon, tempered

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BOLTS AND TORQUE SPECS

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Tensile strength (Minimum)

74,000 psi 120,000 psi

133,000 psi

150,000 psi

160,000 psi

U.S. BOLT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS Torque in pounds-foot

2 2 5 5 7 7 8 8
Socket Socket head head cap screw cap screw Dry Oiled

Bolt Thread Dry Oiled Dry Oiled Dry Oiled Dry Oiled Dia. per inch

1/4 20 1/4 28 5/16 18 5/16 24 3/8 16 3/8 24 7/16 14 7/16 20 1/2 13 1/2 20 9/16 12 9/16 18 5/8 11 5/8 18 3/4 10 3/4 16 7/8 9 7/8 14 1 8 1 12

4 6 9 12 16 22 24 34 38 52 52 71 98 115 157 180 210 230 320 350

3 4 7 9 12 16 17 26 31 42 42 57 78 93 121 133 160 177 240 265

8 10 17 19 30 35 50 55 75 90 110 120 150 180 260 300 430 470 640 710

6 7 13 14 23 25 35 40 55 65 80 90 110 130 200 220 320 360 480 530

10 12 21 24 40 45 60 70 95 100 135 150 190 210 320 360 520 580 800 860

8 9 16 18 30 35 45 50 70 80 100 110 140 160 240 280 400 440 600 666

12 14 25 29 45 50 70 80 110 120 150 170 220 240 380 420 600 660 900 990

9 10 18 20 35 40 55 60 80 90 110 130 170 180 280 320 460 500 680 740

14 16 29 33 49 54 76 85 113 126 163 181 230 255 400 440 640 700 980 1060

11 13 23 26 39 44 61 68 90 100 130 144 184 204 320 350 510 560 780 845

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BOLT TORQUE FACTORS

LUBRICANT OR PLATING Oil Dry Film (Teflon or moly based) Dry Wax (Cetyl alcohol) Chrome plating Cadmium plating Zinc plating TORQUE CHANGES Reduce torque 15% to 25% Reduce torque 50% Reduce torque 50% No change Reduce torque 25% Reduce torque 15%

Baseline torque is calculated for a non-lubricated, un-plated bolt Top

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